Vaccine uptake and hesitancy among Black people: A scoping review

Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent disease, yet vaccine hesitancy remains a threat to the progress made in tackling vaccine preventable diseases. Black communities have a history of being subjects of unethical research, victims of implicit bias, mistreated by healthcare professionals, and denied access to medical assistance. This study aims to examine vaccine uptake and hesitancy among Black people.

A scoping review was conducted in 11 bibliographic databases to identify relevant peer-reviewed studies. Articles were screened by two reviewers, with a third resolving conflicts where necessary. Data were extracted from eligible studies and findings were narratively summarized. A PRISMA checklist was adopted, followed by data extraction with the findings then collated, summarized, and reported.

A total of 101 articles (77 quantitative, 16 qualitative, 3 randomized clinical trials, and 5 mixed methods studies) were included in the final analysis. Among these, 95.1% and 4.9% reported findings from North America and Europe, respectively. This review revealed that misinformation affects the acceptability of vaccination programs. Vaccine hesitancy among Black communities is often rooted in fears of potential side effects and long-term consequences. Parental consent was noted as a crucial issue, and the belief that children should not be offered vaccinations without parental consent was indicated as a factor affecting vaccine uptake.

Vaccine hesitancy continues to have a significant impact on global health. Government policies that promote vaccine uptake would help to reduce vaccine hesitancy and maintain high coverage among Black people.